St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-10

Board met at p. m. pursuant to call.
Present: Messrs. Hoyt, Peters, Quinby.
| Schlick and Nj. President.
| Absent: Mr.. Becker feXcuSed.)
In the matter OF the suspension by the
Building Inspector and Health Officer of the
! license of James j. Dunnigan. plumber, the
following report was adopted, to-wit:
In the matter of the petitions of Gustave
| Heinemann and Robert Seeger for the re-
vocation of the license of James J. Dunni-
gan, licensed plumber of said city, the
| Board of Public Works read and considered
| the complaints of the petitioners, the order
Of the Health Officer. DR.. Talbot Jones,
the Inspector of Buildings. Gates a. John
son, Esq. suspending the plumbing license
of said James J. Dunnigan, and having
| heard the petitioners and the respondent in
! person and by their respective counsel, are
of the opinion that they have jurisdiction,
not only of the subject matter of the COM
plants but also,o the respondent, for the
purpose of hearing the evidence and de-
termining this question: Has the respond
| ent been guilty, as charged in these COM
| plants, of violation of the provisions of
| the ordinance known as AN ordinance to
regulate the construction and plumbing of
| buildings within the City of st. Paul and
to provide for the appointment of Build
| ing Inspector" approved June 26, 1888, as
amended by Ordinance No. 643, approved
April Z, 1886?
| In accordance with this construction of
the proper limit Of the jurisdiction of the
Board in the matter OF these complaints
against the respondent they advised counsel
! that the evidence to be heard would be con-
fined to such testimony as should bear di-
rectly upon the question of whether or not
| the respondent has been guilty of violation
Of the provisions of said ordinance. and the
! conditions of this bond. and directed the
respondents counsel to answer the charges
in said complaints, which was done.
The answer substantially admits the
charges made by the complainantS, and
from its admissions, made under oath. the
Board would be justified i'll finding the re-
spondent guilty of violation of the ordn-
ance, and inhicting upon him such punish
ment as in the Judgment of the Board his
confessed guilt should receive.
The Board however, were of the opinion
| that for the purpose of better informing
themselves ypOl the subject matter of
these complaints. of which they can have
no knowledge, for reasons hereinafter
stated. either of the capability. efficiency,
or good faith or otherwise, of the persons
to whom licenses may have been granted,
until as in the present cases the attention
of the Board is specially directed thereto,
| by the action of the Building Inspector and
Health Officer in suspending such license,
they ought to hear testimony upon the
question referred to and so informed the
parties and their counsel.
We were, and are. of the opinion. that
by full, fair and impartial hearing of the
parties and their witnesses. and the infor-
nation thereby obtained, the public Interest
and welfare would be best suoserved, and
the evils complained of would be more
clearly ascertained and defined, and con.
sequently the more easily remedied.
The cOmplainaniS introduced several wit
the complaints, and they also were sworr
and testified in their own behalf. =
The respondent did not testify in his OWL
behalf, nor did his counsel see fit to offel
any testimony, or TO justify the conduct OF
the respondent in his alleged and confessed
violation of the plumbing. ordinance, save
| and except as stated in his answer, tina
the matters complained of, were done, OIL
were not done, through advertance or over
sight.
The evidence heard by the Board in these
| cases, and the statements of the Building
Inspector, verified by the records of his Of
fee, clearly prove the following facts, viz.
First-That the respondent has beer
guilty of an habitual and persistent, not tt
say wiiltul, violation of the plumbing or
dinance.
Second-That these violations of thu
ordinance were not the result of inadvert-
ance or oversight; that they are not eXcusa
bic and should not bf yerlooked, but should
be punished.
Third-That N 4iy, If not quite al. O
the other twenty-three licensed plumbers o